Foodie Friday: Quick & Easy Healthy Homemade Granola!

Along with porridge, granola is a favourite breakfast or even snack of mine. However, many shop bought ones are packed full of sugar and all sorts of ingredients, and don't make a particularly healthy breakfast. Instead, I make my own which not only tastes better but I also know exactly what I have put in it and only contains natural sugars. 

All you need to make this delicious granola is...

Oats

Coconut Oil

Nuts & Seeds (it's your choice- you can add what you want and create your own flavours) 

Honey or Maple Syrup (I used maple syrup this time, but sometimes I will use honey)

Desiccated Coconut (Optional- Sorry I forgot to take a picture of it!)

First things first is to melt your coconut oil. I put it
in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then add all the ingredients onto a baking tray and mix. It's so simple and easy! I never weigh anything out, I just guess on the volume of ingredients. So you can add more or less of what you like.

Then you just need to bake it in the oven for about 15
minutes at about 180 degrees celsius until golden brown. I always check on it every 5 minutes and give it a mix as it can burn so easily, and it may take more or less time than I have suggested.

You can also add dried fruit after cooking. 

And that is it! 

I love it for breakfast served with Greek or natural yogurt and topped with fresh berries.

xoxo

Connie 

What I Ate Wednesday (30.1.18)

Breakfast 8:30am 

Today for breakfast I decided to have toast, which I don't usually have but I really fancied it. I had 2 slices of wholemeal bloomer bread, with some Meridian crunchy peanut butter and a sliced banana on top; my favourite topping on toast. As usual I also had water and a cup of tea with my breakfast. 

Lunch 1:30pm

I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and was absolutely starving after my gym class. For lunch I went for a wholemeal flat bread which I toasted with; falafels, sweet potatoes, cucumber and plum tomatoes to dip into some organic humous. I love lunches like this and I find them so filling. Obviously, I also had water with it, and I also had a cup of tea after eating my lunch.

Dinner 6:30pm

It was just a quick and simple dinner tonight. I had a jacket potato done in the oven with grated cheddar cheese and spring onion, along with a mountain of steamed broccoli and some more water. 

Dessert 7pm
Following my dinner I had something sweet to end the night. I had a chopped up nectarine with some Alpro Simply Plain yogurt and a cup of tea.

xoxo
Connie 

Travel Thursday: S'Escalinata in Ibiza Town

Back in September I visited Ibiza Town with my cousin. We stopped at S'Escalinata for lunch after a recommendation from family members.

Located in the Old Town in Delta Villa is this beautiful restaurant with a scenic location, with cushioned seating and low tables on staircase steps. We ate homemade houmous and pitta bread which was delicious and the views were beautiful. It was so relaxing and great friendly service. If you want traditional food like Tapas or Sangria then this is the place to go.

We went in the day but it is also open in the evening as a bar, which I would love to have gone back to as the Old Town is beautiful in the evening. I would highly recommend this place if you are looking for casual eating and great cocktails.

xoxo

Connie 

What I Ate Wednesday (23.1.18)

Breakfast 8am

Today I had my homemade granola (recipe coming soon), with natural Greek yogurt and fresh blueberries with my usual cup of tea made with semi- skimmed milk and a bottle of water.

Lunch 12:30pm 
For lunch I had half of the Yorkshire Provender Roast Chicken and Traditional Vegetable Soup with black pepper on top, and two small slices of fresh granary bread from a local bakery with dairy-free spread. I also had another bottle of water, which I have been topping up and drinking from all morning. After my soup I had another cup of tea and a banana.

 Dinner 6pm
Today I didn't have a snack between lunch and dinner but most often I will do. For dinner tonight I had salmon baked in the oven, corn on the cob, spinach, baby potatoes, and a mountain of rocket as I really fancied it (sorry its falling off my plate, haha!)

Dessert 7pm
I usually always fancy something sweet after dinner and I will often have fruit. Today I made a healthy crumble. This is something I do quite a lot and love it. I just stew down some fruit with a splash of water usually apples, but today I had one stewed pear. I then top it with a some oats and some of my homemade granola to make the crumble topping. Then I add a spoonful of natural yogurt.  I also had a decaf tea.

That's it!

xoxo
Connie 

Beauty Tuesday: My Skincare Routine!

My skincare routine has changed over the years, but still certain products remain the same as they are my go-to favourite products. My skin type is oily and I'm very prone to spots and breakouts, it has been an on going battle throughout my teen years. At the age of 19, my skin still experiences the odd breakout but it's not as bad as it use to be.

The first step to my skincare routine day and night is to wash my face. In the morning I use the Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean Deep Cleansing Milk. I have only recently got back into using this product, I use to love it when I was younger and always used it. But for some reason I forgot about it and recently I tried it again and I am back in love with it. I think it's mainly the smell I love; a minty peach. Sometimes I even use this product as almost a face mask and leave it on my skin to treat spots. I can feel it working when I do this, it almost tingles.

In the evening,  I use the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser with a muslin cloth as most likely I have makeup on and this cleanser removes it really well. This has been my cleanser of choice for years now and I don't use anything else to take my makeup off with.

For my moisturiser I usually use the Liz Earle Light Skin Repair Moisturiser, however being on a student budget I wanted to use something cheaper. When I was younger I always used the Simple Light Moisturiser and I never had a problem with it, so I've gone back to using it.

If my skin has a few breakouts I will use a spot treatment to treat them. I really like the Lush Grease Lighting, which has lots of natural ingredients in and doesn't dry my skin out and isn't to expensive.

This time of year my lips get so dry and sore. I have tried so many lip balms but I struggle to find a really effective one. This isn't a lip balm but I love the Liz Earle Eight Hour Cream to use on my lips. It creates a protective barrier and repairs the dry skin on my lips. And as it's such a massive tube it has lasted me ages. If you have particularly dry skin on your face, body or lips this product will work a treat!

xoxo

Connie 

Surprise Sunday: 5 Tips to Stay Fit and Healthy at University!

Keeping fit and healthy is another passion of mine. I love coming up with healthy recipes as well as doing regular exercise; whether that's going to my local gym or simply going for a long walk. I am also a second year uni student and thought I would share with you how I keep fit and healthy. These tips will be useful whether you are currently at uni or are starting later this year and what to avoid the dreaded Freshers Fifteen!

It doesn't have to cost a lot as you don't have to buy over priced health food or join an expensive gym, there are plenty of free ways to exercise and cheap shopping hacks that I have learnt to do. If I can manage it and I'm on a student budget, then you can too. So let's get started...

Tip #1 

My first tip would be to meal plan. You don't have to plan everything you will be eating from breakfast to dinner and snacks. I just plan my dinners and have some ideas for my lunches, and I pretty much eat the same breakfast everyday anyway. By knowing the meals I will be cooking means that I know exactly what I need to buy when I go shopping which saves money. It also means I have a healthy meal every night of the week and won't be reaching for takeaways and convince foods all the time.

Tip #2

This tip almost links with my first tip and that is to meal prep. By this I mean cook a big batch of food enough for a whole family, and then freeze the leftovers into separate portions. I love doing this as on days when I am too busy to cook, I can take out a meal from the freezer, let it defrost in the day. Then when it comes to dinnertime I have a healthy meal already made for me.

Tip #3

Write a shopping list. I know this sounds so simple but so many of my friends at uni don't do this. If I don't have a list I would go into the supermarket and buy so much stuff I don't need and just pick up what I fancy. If you write a list and meal plan then you only will buy what you need which will keep your food shopping bills down too.

Tip #4

Take part in regular or daily exercise. Now I am a member of my university gym and I take part in a variety of the exercise classes. I would totally recommend doing this as I love it, it doesn't cost that much as it is a uni gym, but other gyms also have student prices. I love going to the gym not only to keep myself fit but also for stress, it's great for my mental health during exam periods or if I have a lot of deadlines due in. If you don't have the finance or if gyms aren't for you then there are other ways you can exercise, you can walk, run, use Youtube to find free workouts to do in your room, I love HIIT workouts. You can even get a house mate or friend to join in with you, which will make it more fun. If you have a workout buddy you will probably be more inclined to workout and you can keep each other motivated.

Tip #5

Obviously uni is about going out, having fun and making amazing memories and friends. But try and keep nights out to once a week. Firstly, this will be cheaper and also better for your health, and will ensure you will get good night sleep other times during the week; which is important for your body and brain. I'm not saying not go out, as it is a big part of uni and remember university is only short term and will be over before we know it. Also, by going out once a week will mean you have plenty of time for assignments, haha. Then when it comes to going out it will be a nice treat and something to look forward to.

xoxo

Connie 

Peaches and Cream Cupcakes

 Peaches are one of my favourite fruits, and peaches and cream are an ultimate treat. These cupcakes are really refreshing and fruity. They're not to sweet as there is cream instead of icing. 

For the cupakes you will need...

400g of canned peach slices in fruit juice

115g of softened butter 

115g or caster sugar

2 eggs

115g of self raising flour

150ml of double cream

Preheat oven to 180oc and line a 12-hole cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases. Drain the peaches and reserve the juice. Keep 12 peach slices and leave to one side as you need these for decoration. Finely chop the remaining slices. Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream together with an electric whisk until light and fluffy, then gradually add the eggs one at a time and beat after. Sift in the flour and fold into the mixture. Then fold in the chopped peaches and 1 tablespoon of the remaining juice. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. When the cupcakes are done, leave them to cool on a wire rack. Then when they are ready to decorate, place the cream into a bowl and whisk with an electric wisk until very thick, you have to over wisk the cream. Then spread the cream on top of the cupcakes using a knife and then place a peach slice on each cupcake. 

And that's it. I hope you liked this recipe.

xoxo 

Connie 

First Impressions of the Naked Heat Palette

I'm probably one of the last people to write a blog post about this, but for Christmas from my lovely boyfriend I was very lucky to receive the newest member of the Urban Decay Naked palette family; the Heat palette. It's been a long wait, as for months I have been dying to get my hands on this beautiful, glistening eye shadow palette containing a mix of amber-hued neutrals, warm browns and burnt oranges. I'm kind of sad Autumn has been and gone, as this palette would have been perfect for that season. I can sense it will become my Autumn staple later this year.

When it comes to eye shadows, since first discovering Urban Decay I have become an Urban Decay eye shadow snob, and they are pretty much the only eyeshadows I wear now.  I can guarantee they will go on my eyelids evenly and last all day. Personally I think that they are the most pigmented eye shadows I have tried.

What I love about this palette and actually all of the other Naked palettes too,  is that you can create day and night looks. Even just using two different eye shadows you can easily create a look, and I always think it looks like you've put more effort in that you actually have. Especially, as I never have that much time to get my face ready in the morning. It's also a great palette to turn a day look into a night look, to do this I use one of the darker shades; 'En Fuego' or 'Ashes', and blend it into the corner of my eye.

My go-to day look is either using 'Sauced' or 'Chaser' or both all over my eyelid, and then working 'Low Blow' into the crease, whilst adding 'Ounce' on my brow bone and in the corner of my eye to add a bit of brightness. Or instead of applying 'Low Blow' I will use 'Lumbre'  if I fancy a bit of shimmer.

In the night, whether it's a night out with the girls or date night I have been reaching for either the shades 'Scorched' or 'Dirty Talk' onto my lids. Then I will use 'En Fuego' and 'Ashes' in the crease and corner of my eyes. One of my favourite combinations is using 'Scorched' all over my lid, then in the outer corner I will apply 'Ember', then using 'Ashes' in the crease and to further darken the look, whilst adding a almost subtle hint of purple; my favourite colour.

Let me know what you think of this palette and what your go-to combination is? 

xoxo

Connie